International Confederation of Midwives

taken at the Walk to Durban, ICM 29th Triennial Congress

The International Confederation of Midwives is an organization of international midwives from more than 90 countries, that works to strengthen the practice of midwifery worldwide. The ICM mandates that midwifery care can help reduce the high rates of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality that reek havoc in our world. The ICM definition of a midwife is:

A midwife is a person who has successfully completed a midwifery education programme that is duly recognized in the country where it is located and that is based on the ICM Essential Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice and the framework of the ICM Global Standards for Midwifery Education; who has acquired the requisite qualifications to be registered and/or legally licensed to practice midwifery and use the title ‘midwife’; and who demonstrates competency in the practice of midwifery.

The International Confederation of Midwives promotes the expansion of the practice of midwifery to all jurisdictions, following recommendations from such publications as The Lancet (Series on Midwifery, 2014).